Goin' shopping..and giving thanks

This little lady is going shopping.... not for the deals this coming Black Friday, but for some freshly baked cookies at the local bakery. : ) Just a little snippet of a much larger illustration I completed for a commission recently.

I'm hoping you all are doing well...we are ramping up to celebrate Thanksgiving here over in the states, which means cooking, cleaning, baking, etc. This year, my lovely mother-in-law is hosting and she creates such a wonderful day/night of celebration. I love that she puts out the fine china and serviceware, and creates a floral centerpiece amongst all of the delicious food she creates. Her stuffing rivals your favorite stuffing everyone. It really IS that good. I'm looking forward to dessert as well..we are in charge of the baking and potatoes.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I am happy to recall this past summer's vacation to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. We even drove to Cape Cod (one of my "must-see's in life" and it was fantastic! One of the highlights was visiting "First Encounter Beach" where (from Wiki: in 1621 a hunting expedition comprised from the crew of the sailing vessel Mayflower, which had stopped in Provincetown harbor on Cape Cod Bay after a rough crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, led to the first encounter of the Pilgrims and the local Nauset Indians.) It was a quiet, stormy day and my littlest one was so eager to touch her toe in the Atlantic Ocean (before her big sister did!) and what a place to put it in...such history.

I am sending a heartfelt thanks to the friendships I've made while blogging these few years. The journey I've been on has been filled with many surprises and smiles, and continues to confirm my belief that we are in a community of supportive, caring, and generous people. Thanks everyone...I'm wishing you all a very happy thanksgiving! ~ Shirley